Lamp for vehicles

ABSTRACT

A lamp for vehicles, in particular motor vehicles, has a light source and at least one light-guide arrangement associated with the light source for guiding the light radiated by the light source and coupled into the light-guide arrangement in a specified direction toward an outcoupling point. The lamp further has a light-diverting device in the light-guide arrangement for diverting and/or splitting the light. The light-diverting device is formed as a recess in the light-guide arrangement, and the diversion takes place by means of reflecting the light on one of the lateral surfaces of the recess. The recess is closed by means of a cover element, such that the recess is covered as viewed from the outside of the light-guide arrangement.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to a lamp for vehicles, inparticular, motor vehicles, with a light source and at least onelight-guide arrangement associated with the light source for guiding thelight radiated by the light source and coupled into the light-guidearrangement in a specified direction toward an outcoupling point. Thelamp further has a light-diverting device in the light-guide arrangementfor diverting and/or splitting the light, whereby the light divertingdevice is formed as a recess in the light-guide arrangement and thediversion takes place by means of reflecting the light on one of thelateral surfaces of the recess.

[0002] A lamp of this type is know from DE 197 39 173 A1, whichdiscloses a signal lamp for a vehicle, in particular, a motor vehicle,with a housing, in which at least one light source is disposed, with alight guide in which the light is guided in the direction of a specifiedlight exit opening, whereby the light outcoupling element is associatedwith a light diverting element, which on its front side, has adepression for diverting at approximately 90° and splitting into twolegs the light radiated from the light source, whereby the depression isformed as a groove or slot with groove surfaces.

[0003] In particular, the known arrangement is made up of a light guide,in which the light is coupled in via a light source, whereby the lightguide has a substantially circular cross section and has a groove orslot on one of its faces. On the lateral surfaces of the light guide,which here serves as a light diverting element, light outcouplingelements are mounted in the region of the groove, in which the light isdiverted after striking the groove surfaces. The light outcouplingelements are the visible part of the light.

[0004] One disadvantage of this type of construction is the unattractiveexterior of the groove, which disturbs the appearance of the lightguide, which, for example, can be connected to a ring. It canparticularly be provided that the light is lead guided via a lightguide, diverted on the groove surfaces, and than guided in a ring-shapedlight guide, via which it is outcoupled over the entire ringcircumference. The outcoupling point in the ring, therefore, can be seenfrom the outside by motor vehicle headlights through the cover disk, inparticular, when clear cover disks without optics are used based ondesign grounds.

[0005] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide alamp, in which the coupling in- and diverting points do not detract fromthe appearance.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] The present invention resolves the above-described problems by alamp, which the recess is covered as viewed from the outside of thelight-guide arrangement.

[0007] This type of arrangement offers the advantage that the recesscannot be seen from the outside of the light-guide arrangement, andtherefore, for example, the groove or prism creates no negative opticalaffect on the appearance of a light-guide ring, for example, which isarranged about a regular low beam head light, for example.

[0008] If one looks through the cover plate of a front Kfz headlight,for example, the individual light modules can be recognized. In thisconnection, it can be provided, for example, that such a light-guidering can be around about a light module. The light guide can thereforebe made from a transparent material, in particular, a plastic material,so that a particularly attractive optical exterior is provided, based onthe transparent construction of the light guide, in particular, however,based on its regular construction, since the coupling in of the lightmust not take place in the direct vicinity of the light guide ring.

[0009] Essentially, light guides have the advantage of relatively freeconstruction of elongated lights, such as, for example, border orblinker light lamps, without, however, the need to use expensive glassfibers. In addition, the coupling in of light from LED's, for example,is possible, so that a white light color can be achieved.

[0010] The light-guide arrangement, therefore, can be circular or ovalin cross section; however, also square shapes are possible.

[0011] The advantage lies in that this type of signal lamp means noreflector surface damage and therefore, no light output damage, as faras they are coupled as signal lamps with a further lamp. Typically,these types of signal lamps otherwise are provided in recesses in thereflector of a headlight.

[0012] With the assistance of one of these types of light guides, inparticular, desired elongated shapes can be realized, which, inaddition, enable them to be positioned as desired within a headlight.Therefore, the use of light-guide arrangements offers an entirely newspectrum for design possibilities.

[0013] The light-guide made from a transparent material thereby guidesthe light further, as far no outcoupling elements are provided, asnon-dissipative as possible. On the side of the light guide, which isopposite to the outcoupling side, prisms are arranged, for example, foroutcoupling, by means of which the light in the direction of theoutcoupling side can be outcoupled by reflection or total reflection.

[0014] In particular, it can be provided that the light guide can bepositioned about the headlight reflector, or the projection lens withPES modules. In this manner, an interesting and attractive opticaleffect can be achieved with motor vehicles.

[0015] As a principle, it can be provided that the prisms, which serveas outcoupling elements, depending on the reflective characteristics,can have a different prism angle and/or a different prism form, such asconcave, convex, or a free-form surface.

[0016] The light coupling-in therefore can be achieved by means of allpossible lamps or light-producing units, for example, by means ofincandescent lamps, halogen lamps, LED's, EL foils, or glow-dischargelamps.

[0017] The light coupling therefore can be achieved via a reflector in aglass or plastic fiber. The plastic fiber, then, is coupled to the lightguide. In cases in which the light coupling is to take place directly inthe light guide, an infrared filter can be provided, in order to protectthe light guide from the heat rays that are emitted from the lightelement.

[0018] It can therefore be provided that the light source is associatedwith a reflector, whereby the focus of the reflector essentially lies onthe coupling-in point in the light guide, or in the glass fiberconnected in front to it, in order to enable guiding over the largestpossible light portion of the light source into the light guide.

[0019] The infrared filter, or the coupling of a suitable glass fiber,can be eliminated when the light source is so adapted, that it does notdestroy the light guide. LED's are particularly suitable in this regard.The LED, therefore, can be placed directly on the end of a light guide;however, it can also be provided, in order to improve the coupling-inefficiency, that one can place a small reflector on the LED, which sealswith the light guide. In this regard, it is ensured that approximatelyall of the light emitted from the LED is coupled-in in the light guide.

[0020] In particular, by means of an essentially loss-free guiding ofthe light into the light-guide arrangement, as far as no outcouplingelement are provided, the light coupling-in can take place on at acompletely different point than the light outcoupling. In this manner,the optics in the headlight housing can be improved so that, forexample, the light coupling-in in the light guide is still not visiblein the headlight from the outside. Also, the correct limitedconstruction space in the headlight can be used optimally.

[0021] In addition, the light guide has the advantage that it is able tobe bent as desired, and the respective light is diverted.

[0022] According to a first embodiment, it can be provided that therecess has the shape of a prism or cuboid. It is also contemplated,however, that other forms can be used, for example, cones, truncatedpyramids, or truncated cones.

[0023] To improve the light reflection on the light-diverting device,which forms the recess, since on the side edges of the recess that formthe border surfaces between the light guide and a further material, thereflection takes place, which leads to diversion, it can be providedthat the lateral surfaces of the recess are mirrored or partiallymirrored or are coated in another manner.

[0024] It can therefore be provided that the cover element is an insert,which has the same size and contour as the recess. For example, then, ina pyramid-shaped recess, a pyramid-shaped insert would be used, whicheither permits merely a smaller air gap between the recess and theinsert, or which sufficiently lies against the lateral walls of therecess. In particular, the insert should be flush with the outside ofthe light-guide arrangement, so that here, a unitary upper-surfaceappearance is produced.

[0025] Alternatively, it can be provided that the cover element does notcorrespond completely with the size and contour of the recess. Forexample, then, it can be provided that the insert is arranged merely inthe region of the recess, and there, corresponds to the contour, whichforms the outside of the recess. It then can comprise a greater, desiredformed intermediate space between the insert and the recess, whereby theshape of the intermediate space is determined by the shape of the recesson the one hand, and on the other hand, by the upper surface of theinsert to be directed on the recess.

[0026] According to another embodiment of the present invention, theinsert can be developed out of a different material than the light-guidearrangement, for example, in order to improve the reflective qualities.The insert can therefore be interconnected with the light-guidearrangement in a bonded fashion, or the insert can be connected with thelight-guide arrangement in a positive-locking or interlocking manner. Inmany cases, however, the insert can be adhered into the recess, orexample. In particular, it can be provided also that the insert is castinto the light-guide arrangement. In this manner, the insert can bedirectly cast upon the manufacturing of the light-guide arrangement andso is securely retained in the light-guide arrangement. In this manner,it is ensured that the surfaces are particularly well aligned with oneanother. For example, it can be provided that the insert is completelysurrounded by the light-guide arrangement. This is, it can be providedthat the insert does not coincide with the outer side of the light-guidearrangement, rather is arranged further within the interior of thelight-guide arrangement. In addition, in this manner, a particularlysecure attachment is achieved.

[0027] However, basically the insert can also be made from the samematerial as the light-guide arrangement.

[0028] It can be provided further in another particularly preferredembodiment, that none of the lateral surfaces of the recess coincidewith an outer side of the light-guide arrangement. The recessrepresents, then, a “hole” in the light-guide. The recess is thereforecompletely enclosed in cross section by the light-guide arrangement.

[0029] In this manner, it can particularly easily realized that theouter surfaces and, therewith, the appearance of the light is notdetrimentally affected. In particular, also no material differences canbe seen by the eye, or not the side edges and therewith, the bordersurfaces.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0030]FIG. 1 is a front view of a headlight with a light-guidearrangement on the periphery;

[0031]FIG. 2 is a side view of a first light-diverting device; and

[0032]FIG. 3 is a side view of a second light-diverting device;

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0033]FIG. 1 shows a headlight 10 (in a largely schematic illustration)of a motor vehicle with a first lamp 12 including a reflector 12, aswell as a first light source 16, which is arranged in the focal point ofthe reflector 14.

[0034] About the reflector's outer edge 18, a light guide 20 a as a partof a light-guide arrangement 20 is provided as an elongated lightoutcoupling element, which extends circular or ring-shaped along theperiphery of the reflector 14. For the light guide 20, a further lightsource (not shown) is provided, which cannot be seen upon looking at theheadlight housing from the outside, whereby the coupling-in of the lightin the circular light guide 20 takes place via a coupling-in element anda light-diverting device, which is shown, for example, in FIGS. 2 and 3.

[0035] The outcoupling of the light takes place by means of regular,arranged reflection surfaces 22, preferably directly connected to oneanother, whereby the reflection surfaces 22 are the lateral surfaces ofprisms 24. The prisms are arranged on the side of the light guideopposite to the light outcoupling surface. On the prisms, the emittedlight is reflected, such that it exits on the opposite site, that is,the light outcoupling side, from the light guide 20 a. The lightoutcoupling side is the side 28 in the direction of a cover place of aheadlight.

[0036] If the light is coupled-in in the light-guide arrangement in sucha manner that the light source in FIG. 1 is found in a plate behind thatillustrated, then it is necessary to consider light diversion, forexample, light-diversion surfaces in the form of a recess or prisms.Such a type of recess in the light guide 20, however, in theillustration of FIG. 1, is to be viewed as breaks or interruptions ofthe circular appearance of the light guide in the illuminated andnon-illuminated state. Such an interruption, however, is undesired basedon design considerations.

[0037]FIGS. 2 and 3 shows alternative embodiments for avoiding this typeof interruption in the visible side 28 of the light guide 20, wherebythe visible side 28 is the illustrated side in FIG. 1.

[0038] In FIG. 2, a light guide 20 is illustrated, whose comprises acircular outcoupling section 20 a, whereby, in this manner, merely thetwo outgoing arms from the coupling-in point of the light in thecircular ring can be seen. These join together to a ring (not shown).

[0039] In the area of the light coupling-in in the light guidearrangement 20 from a first coupling-in component 26 of the light guidein the light outcoupling element 20 a, a recess 30 is provided on avisible side 28 of the light guide arrangement 20, which is mirrored forimproved reflection of the light. A light beam 32, which from a lightcoupling-in point (not shown) is guided through the light guide andcontacts on the lateral surfaces 34 (reflection surfaces) of the recess30 formed as a prism, is reflected by means of the lateral surfaces suchthat the light beam is diverted in the outcoupling part 20 a of thelight guide 20. In this manner, the light loss upon the reflectionshould be the smallest possible.

[0040] So that the recess 30 in the visible side 28 cannot be seen, aprism 36 is placed in the recess 30, which, with regard to shape andcontour, is minimally smaller than the shape and contour of the recess30. In particular, however, the outer side 38 of the insert 36 isinterconnected in a bonded fashion with the visible side 28 of thelight-guide arrangement.

[0041] In this manner, only a small column or gap 40 exists between therecess 30 and the insert 36, so that the outer appearance of thelight-guide ring 20 essentially is not disturbed. The inserted prism 36,therefore, can be made from the same material as the light-guidearrangement 20 or also can be made from another material.

[0042] In particular, with the use of the same material, however, aparticularly remarkable appearance of the insert 36 is provided.

[0043] According to a second embodiment, it can be provided that therecess 30 is in the form of a “hole” in the light-guide arrangement andin the illustrated view, is surrounded by all sides by the light-guidearrangement 20.

[0044] In this case, it is not necessary to provide an insert 36, sothat the visible side 38 has no interruption. In addition, the visibleside is here continuous. Through the working-in of the outcoupling prismdirectly into the light-guide arrangement 20, the appearance of the ringis not disturbed. Here, the visible side 28 of the light-guidearrangement 20 itself serves as the cover element 42.

[0045] The recess 30 is provided here again in the form of a prism.

[0046] Because none of the lateral surfaces 34 of the recess coincidewith the visible side 28, or the outer side of the light-guidearrangement 20, the visible side 28 of the light-guide arrangementremains completely uninterrupted, so that it cannot be recognized howthe light is guided into the ring-shaped light-guide arrangement.

[0047] By way of example, also here a light beam 32 is shown.

[0048] The light 32, which is coupled-in by means of the coupling-incomponent 25 of the light-guide arrangement and which is diverted bymeans of the recess 30 in the outcoupling part 20 a of the light-guidearrangement, runs along the bend of the light guide, whereby areflection on the lateral walls of the light guide along its shape takesplace. An outcoupling takes place again view the outcoupling prism 24,which lies opposite to the outcoupling side, which corresponds to thevisible side 28.

[0049] It will be understood that each of the elements described above,or two or more together, may also find a useful application in othertypes of constructions differing from the types described above.

[0050] While the invention has been illustrated and described herein asa lamp for vehicles with a light source and at least one light-guidearrangement, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown,since various modifications and structural changes may be made withoutdeparting in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

[0051] Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal thegist of the present invention that others can, by applying currentknowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omittingfeatures that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constituteessential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of thisinvention.

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent isset forth in the appended claims:
 1. A lamp for vehicles, in particularmotor vehicles, having a light source and at least one light-guidearrangement (20) associated with the light source for guiding a light(32) radiated by the light source and coupled in the light-guidearrangement (20) in a specified direction toward an outcoupling point,and having a light-diverting device in the light-guide arrangement (20)for diverting and/or splitting the light (32), whereby thelight-diverting device is designed as a recess (30) in the light-guidearrangement (20), and the diversion takes place by means of reflectingthe light (32) on one of a plurality of lateral surfaces (34) of therecess (30), wherein the recess (30) is covered by a cover element (42)in such a fashion that the recess (30) is covered as viewed from theoutside (28) of the light-guide arrangement (20).
 2. The lamp accordingto claim 1, wherein the recess (30) has the shape of a prism or cuboid.3. The lamp according to claim 1, wherein the cover element (42) is aninsert (36) that has the same size and contour as the recess (30). 4.The lamp according to claim 3, wherein the insert (36) is developed outof a different material than the light-guide arrangement (20).
 5. Thelamp according to claim 3, wherein a gap (40) remains between the recess(30) and the insert (36).
 6. The lamp according to claim 3, wherein theinsert (36) is interconnected with the light-guide arrangement (20) inbonded fashion.
 7. The lamp according to claim 3, wherein the insert(36) is cast into the light-guide arrangement (20).
 8. The lampaccording to claim 1, wherein the recess (30) is built into thelight-guide arrangement (20) in such a fashion that none of the lateralsurfaces (34) of the recess (30) meets an exterior surface (20) of thelight-guide arrangement (20).
 9. The lamp according to claim 1, whereinthe recess (30) and/or the cover element (42) is mirrored or partiallymirrored.